Ask The Chef
The following question came into The Food Channel:
Question:
I bought a bag of peaches at the store and the top ones were great—but the ones at the bottom of the bag are obviously not ripe. What do I do?
Answer:
We can offer two different scenarios. In one, you may have to just toss the peaches because they were picked when they were too green, and odds are they will never ripen any further. Some; however, just need a little more time, and the tried and true trick is using a paper bag.
Photo by Megan Morris via Flickr
We know those are harder to find these days, but it’s good to keep a stack of brown paper lunch bags handy just for a moment such as these! All you do is put the unripe peaches in the bag, close it tightly and leave it on your counter. Do not refrigerate. Within a day or two, you can see if your peach is softer and ready to cut.
Photo by Michał Grosicki on Unsplash
It all has to do with a type of gas the fruit gives off, which, when enclosed in the bag, helps the ripening process.
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